I can do just about anything if you give me directions. I’m not much of a cook, but I can absolutely follow a recipe and make something that’s at least…edible. I’m not exceptionally handy, but I can put together a piece of furniture with a set of directions or complete a project with a YouTube video to guide me. I just need directions!

Pastor Jon started our series on the Westminster Shorter Catechism last week with the first question: What is the chief end of man? That is, what are we here to do? And the catechism’s answer is to glorify God and enjoy him forever.

Now, the Westminster Assembly seems to have anticipated that this answer would only raise more questions. “Yes, but how are we supposed to glorify God and enjoy him forever?” Questions 2 and 3 of the catechism address that question. Scripture is our guide to fulfilling the great purpose of our lives.

Q. 2. What rule hath God given to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him?
A. The Word of God, which is contained in the Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments, is the only rule to direct us how we may glorify and enjoy him.

Q. 3. What do the Scriptures principally teach?
A. The Scriptures principally teach what man is to believe concerning God, and what duty God requires of man.

Scripture, as it is contained in both the Old Testament and New Testament, serve as our guide. We need the whole thing. The Old Testament, the New Testament, or our list of favorite coffee cup verses aren’t enough to tell us what we need to know by themselves. We need the whole of God’s Word. That means our reading, preaching, and small group studies should seek to cover it all in time. What could you be missing out on by sticking to the most familiar parts?

Then Question 3 fleshes this guide out a little bit more. The Scriptures teach us how to glorify and enjoy God by teaching us what to believe. Another word for this is doctrine. Strangers can’t bring us nearly the same joy that our closest friends can, which is why we need to know who God is if we’re going to enjoy him. But the question also tells us what to do. What does God expect from the people he has rescued through the blood of Christ? How do we live as Christians? Only Scripture can fully answer that question.

I remember building a friendship with the chaplain at Boy Scout camp one summer. In one of our conversations, he told me that the Bible is Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. I suspect the Westminster Assembly would co-sign on this sentiment. God’s Word is the instruction we need. The Scriptures contain what we need to know to glorify God and enjoy him forever. The Bible is our guide for the eternal life that comes only through faith in the Savior.